Angina Symptoms

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

Doctor's View on Angina Symptoms

Comment by Charles P. Davis, MD, PhD

What is angina?

Angina (also termed angina pectoris) is a condition characterized by chest pain, sometimes severe, that is caused by an inadequate blood supply to the heart. The pain may wax and wane. It may also spread to the shoulders, arms and or neck. Although this is the classic definition of angina, there are important variations in symptoms and types (stable, unstable, variant, and microvascular).

Angina symptoms

The main symptoms of angina are pain and chest discomfort. The type of pain varies and may be described as pressure, squeezing, burning, or tightness. Other signs and symptoms may include nausea, fatigue, short of breath, sweating, and dizziness. Women, especially young women, are more likely to feel neck, jaw, abdomen, or back pain or discomfort. Shortness of breath is more common in older persons and those who have diabetes. The classic angina symptoms usually occur in younger and middle aged men.